Adventure Okanagan and Bearfoot Canada
have recently been informed by Lands and Water BC, that the
Adventure Okanagan/Bearfoot Canada Tenure Application for
21 Trail and Water Systems from the US Border to the Shuswap,
and from Princeton to the North Granby, had been approved
as a unique work in progress tenure.
This tenure which is now a work in progress
represents the interests of a "community of small businesses"
and is being promoted through a series of Open Houses and
Information Meetings. In addition, a new partnership between
Bearfoot Canada and the Okanagan Cultural Corridor is linking
our tenured nature-based travel routes with cultural attractions
within ten larger "Experience Routes". This partnership
initative is called "Streetscapes to Landscapes".
The connection between cultural and nature-based
tourism experiences is a logical one, supported by travel
motivational research. The types of experiences sought by
cultural travellers frequently overlap with the types of experiences
chosen by nature-based travellers: in other words, visitors
who are interested in heritage attractions and natural history
are usually also interested in hiking, bird-watching, canoeing
and bicycling. It makes sense for cultural and nature-based
tourism to work together to plan exciting itineraries and
packages for the travelling public.
Adventure Okanagan and Bearfoot Canada
look forward to working with other stakeholders of the backcountry
including First Nations and communities in building responsible
and authentic travel solutions in wilderness areas.
The following represents each of the
21 trail and water systems within the work in progress tenure
application:
Historic Vernon Experience
Includes: City of Vernon, Boutique Shopping, Hotels, Heritage
Features, O’keefe Ranch, Agritourism Attractions, Wineries,
Museums, Art Galleries and Performance Venues, Murals.
Nature-based Bearfoot Routes:
ELLISON RIDGE TRAIL – Located on the
west side of Kalamalka Lake starting from Highway 97 and
Old Mission Road at Oyama and ending in Vernon.
COUGAR CANYON TRAIL – Located on the
east side of Kalamalka Lake beginning in Oyama and ending
at the Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park boundary.
HIGH RIM TRAIL – Begins in Kalamalka
Lake Provincial Park running south to Oyama Lake Road then
to Postill Lake Road, then to James Lake Forest Service
Road, ending at Highway 33.
OKANAGAN LAKE, KALAMALKA LAKE
Armstrong Back-Enderby Experience
Includes: Communities of Vernon, Armstrong and Enderby,
Boutique Shopping, Hotels, Heritage Features, O’Keefe
Ranch, Agritourism Attractions, Wineries, Museums, Art Galleries
and Performance Venues, Murals, Cheese Factory, Caravan Farm
Theatre, Art Studios, First Nations.
Nature-based Bearfoot Routes:
ENDERBY CLIFFS TRAIL – From Mabel Lake
Road and Brash Allan Road in Enderby, the Enderby Cliffs
Trail including the summit.
SHUSWAP RIVER – From the upper Shuswap
at Greenbush Lake to, and including Sugar Lake then to Mabel
Lake, to Kingfisher then to Enderby.
MABEL LAKE
Coldstream Monashee Experience
Includes: Communities of Vernon, Coldstream, Lumby, Cherryville,
Boutique Shopping, Hotels, Heritage Features, Agritourism
Attractions, Wineries, Museums, Art Galleries and Performance
Venues, Murals, Art Studios.
Nature-based Bearfoot Routes:
GRAYSTOKES PLATEAU – From Graystokes
Road to the Graystokes Plateau Trail System to Buck Mtn.
to Buck Hills Rd to the Aberdeen Plateau and including Ferry
Lake.
UPPER GRANBY DRAINAGE – From the Kettle
River Forest Service Road to Winnifred Creek Road to Lightning
Peak Route Trail at the north end of Granby Provincial Park
SHUSWAP RIVER – From the upper Shuswap
at Greenbush Lake to, and including Sugar Lake then to Mabel
Lake, to Kingfisher then to Enderby.
CAMELS HUMP TRAIL – From Creighton Valley
Road and Cleir Lake Road to Camels Hump Trail and including
the Camels Hump summit.
SAWTOOTH RANGE – From Mabel Lake Rd
and Taylor Creek Road to Park Mountain, then along the Sawtooth
Range Ridge to Tsuius Mountain Trail to Tsuius Mountain,
Mount Mabel and Joss Mountain including the drainage to
Cottonwood Bay on Mabel Lake, and the Joss Mountain Trail
down to Greenbush Lake.
RAINBOW FALLS TRAIL – From Sugar Lake
Road to the Rainbow Falls Trail to border of Monashee Provincial
Park and including Rainbow Falls.
THE PINNACLES – From North Fork Road
in Cherryville to the Twin Lakes Trail including Twin Lakes,
then to the Mark Berger Traverse to Monashee Lake which
meets the Monashee Lake Trail ending at South Fork Road.
From South Fork Road to the Pinnacles Lake Trail including
Pinnacles Lake; and Vista Pas Trail and the Barnes Creek
Trail which ends at Fife Creek Road which turns into Keefer
Lake Road.
KALAMALKA LAKE, MABEL LAKE, SUGAR LAKE
Westside Experience
Includes: Communities Kelowna, Westbank, Vernon, Boutique
Shopping, Hotels, Heritage Features, O’Keefe Ranch,
Agritourism Attractions, Wineries, Museums, Art Galleries
and Performance Venues, Murals, Art Studios, First Nations.
Nature-based Bearfoot Routes:
BLUE GROUSE MOUNTAIN TRAILS – From Bear
Creek Road, the Blue Grouse Mountain Trail System including
the summit.
McDOUGALL RIM TRAIL SYSTEM – From McDougall
Creek Road, the McDougall Rim Trail System including the
summits of Carrot Mountain and Mount Hayman.
OKANAGAN LAKE
Lake Country Experience
Includes: Communities Kelowna, Lake Country/Winfield, a cultural
district, sculpture walkway, Boutique Shopping, Hotels, Heritage
Features, Agritourism Attractions, Wineries, Museums, Art
Galleries and Performance Venues, Art Studios.
Nature-based Bearfoot Routes:
HIGH RIM TRAIL – Begins in Kalamalka
Lake Provincial Park running south to Oyama Lake Road then
to Postill Lake Road, then to James Lake Forest Service
Road, ending at Highway 33.
GRAYSTOKES PLATEAU – From Graystokes
Road to the Graystokes Plateau Trail System to Buck Mtn.
to Buck Hills Rd to the Aberdeen Plateau and including Ferry
Lake.
KALAMALKA LAKE
Pandosy Experience
Includes: Kelowna’s Cultural District, Mission Shopping
District, East Kelowna, Boutique Shopping, Hotels, Heritage
Features, O’Keefe Ranch, Agritourism Attractions, Wineries,
Museums, Art Galleries and Performance Venues, Murals, Art
Studios, First Nations.
Nature-based Bearfoot Routes:
McCULLOCH – Kettle Valley Railway (KVR)
Trail south to Myra Canyon then south to Naramata.
McCULLOCH – Includes the X-country Ski
Trails and Minnow Lake Trail.
OKANAGAN LAKE
The Canadian Desert Experience
Includes: Communities Penticton, Oliver, Osoyoos, Okanagan
Falls, Keremeos, Gristmill, Desert Center, Nkmip Heritage
Centre, Boutique Shopping, Hotels, Heritage Features, Agritourism
Attractions, Wineries, Museums, Art Galleries and Performance
Venues, Art Studios, First Nations.
Nature-based Bearfoot Routes:
KVR OKANAGAN RIVER TRAIL – Beginning
at Okanagan Falls the Kettle Valley Railway Trail to Osoyoos.
Including an ancillary trail route to McIntyre Bluff including
the summit.
The Golden Mile Experience
Includes: Communities Oliver, Okanagan Falls, Boutique Shopping,
Hotels, Heritage Features, Agritourism Attractions, Wineries,
Museums, Art Galleries and Performance Venues, Art Studios,
First Nations.
Nature-based Bearfoot Routes:
KVR OKANAGAN RIVER TRAIL – Beginning
at Okanagan Falls the Kettle Valley Railway Trail to Osoyoos.
Including an ancillary trail route to McIntyre Bluff including
the summit.
MOUNT KOBAU TRAILS – From Kobau Lookout
Road, the Mount Kobau Trail System including the summit.
Similkameen Experience
Includes: Communities Penticton, Oliver, Okanagan Falls, Keremeos,
Princeton, Hedley, Gristmill, Boutique Shopping, Hotels, Heritage
Features, Agritourism Attractions, Wineries, Museums, Art
Galleries and Performance Venues, Art Studios, First Nations.
Nature-based Bearfoot Routes:
CENTENNIAL TRAIL – Access from Ashnola
River Road to Easy Going Creek Main into Cathedral Provincial
Park via Wall Creek Trail which links to Centennial Trail
which leaves the park at Ewart Creek and continues on Crownland
to Joe Lake.
KVR TROUT CREEK TRAIL – From Penticton,
the Kettle Valley Railway Trail to Summerland, then to Princeton,
ending at Tulameen and Otter Lake.
South Okanagan Lake Experience
Includes: Communities Penticton, Naramata, Summerland, Boutique
Shopping, Hotels, Heritage Features, Agritourism Attractions,
Wineries, Museums, Art Galleries and Performance Venues, Art
Studios.
Nature-based Bearfoot Routes:
KVR NARAMATA CHUTE LAKE TRAIL – From
Penticton, the Kettle Valley Railway to Naramata, Chutelake
and then on to Myra Canyon with ancillary trails to the
Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park Boundary.
OKANAGAN LAKE
Adventure Okanagan and Bearfoot Canada will be "branding"
activities and marketing according to this area development
formula. Many of the 21 trail experiences do not have businesses
operating within them, however through our earlier research
we identified that businesses saw potential, so they were
included in the LAWBC application. Also, many of the potential
activities that the marketplace is searching for, are not
presently being provided. As a result of these gaps, AOC/Bearfoot
Canada will be implementing the following product development
strategy:
- Sector Education, to inform Nature-based
Tourism Businesses of the Application and Opportunities.
- Issuing a Request for Proposal from
operators, targeting each Trail System along with potential
activities.
- Expanding the Nature-based Tourism
Sector by implementing an ongoing inventory of operators
and potential new operators.
- Compileing "Business Clusters"
linked to the Trail Systems.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Please visit www.bearfootcanada.com
for regular updates. If you know of any new nature-based tourism
businesses please direct them to the inventory section of
that website.
For further information contact Don Elzer
at elzer@bcgrizzly.com
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